Chapter 7

3037, October 25

Eryn slowly pulled away from Eldarion, now sure she made the right choice. He took her hand and kissed the top of it.

" What if I do not return?" Eldarion asked her quietly.

"You will," Eryn told him confidently.

" Yes, but what if?"

" Do you love me?" Eryn asked him breathing hard. He nodded a 'yes' " Then you will return to me," Eldarion finally gave way.

"Alright," He leaned over and kissed her brow. He held her hand tight and began to lead her out of the gardens and back inside. She dropped his hand as they drew nearer to the castle. It someone should see them, it would probably create problems before they needed them.

" Go and eat dinner, I shall meet you later tonight," Eldarion told her at the entranceway. Eryn nodded and turned to go to her room, she turned quickly.

" Where will I find you?" she called out quickly. Eldarion had his back turned and was walking away,

" I will find you," he called back without even turning.

Eryn walked through the passages ways, worry overtaking her. Despite what she had said out in the gardens, her heart wasn't so sure about his safe return. Without even realizing she walked passed a shrine to her father. She stopped and looked at it.

There was a small platform with a single stair leading up to it. Upon the platform was a shrine with the remaining piece of the Horn of Gondor, that Faramir had found, and the two vambraces that Aragorn had taken from him upon his death. She walked forward and picked up one of the braces.

She looked up at the wall with tears in her eyes. Behind it was a mural, his last stand at Amon Hen. 'Surely this picture is exaggerated, as the stories were…' Eryn thought to herself. But she couldn't stop the tears as her eyes tore over the picture, the beautiful wood with hideous Uruks charging the Steward. He had his Sword drawn, and horn at side, defending the two small halflings that stood behind him. Then on the far right was her father's murderer, with his bow drawn…

Eryn tore her eyes away and looked down at the inscription on the bottom,

'Truly noble is the one, who gives his life so that others may live.'

Boromir, son of Denenthor, Steward of Gondor.

She sniffled as she placed a hand on the figure of her father in the portrait. That was her father, her father. She placed a hand over her mouth and sobbed, and fell to her knees, hand still upon her fathers figure.

Eryn let her hand fall from the picture, and she knelt there for hours until she could cry no more.

Dark began to set in and the tears on her cheeks had dried, leaving a tight feeling across her skin. The red was dieing from her eyes and her breathing beginning to regulate. There came some quiet pitter-pats of feet behind her.

" There she is!" Merry's voice sounded behind her. Eryn bit her lip. She turned to them and forced a smile.

" That is the first time in many, many years that there wasn't a knocking-off-our-feet waiting for us at the entrance." Pippin told her. He noted that she didn't look very well and saw clear through her strained smile. " Is something wrong?" Eryn's smile faded and she looked back to her fathers portrait.

" He died for you…" she muttered, just loud enough that they could here.

" He was a good friend of ours, that Boromir," Merry said sadly. Pippin smiled weakly, sadness biting him at the site of his memorial.

" He told us once the he would die before he let harm come to us…I wish he didn't prove it," Pippin tried to smile, but his true feeling of grief shined in his and Merry's eyes.

" How did he die, really?" Eryn whispered. Merry took a deep breath.

" I am grieved terribly to admit that he died slowly, and painfully. He fought hard for us, but the Uruk leader shot him. I thought it went straight to his heart but…" Merry's voice cracked. Pippin continued for him,

" He looked at us for a moment, then he stood up and began to fight again. He killed another three Uruks before he was shot again," Eryn bit her lip to stop new tears; it didn't work very well. " He stood again and tried to fight, the shock was over for us and we tried to fight. Just as we charged the Uruks, he was shot again. He fell to his knees and that's the last we saw of him, we were carried off by the band of Uruks…" Pippin finished.

" Why did you ask?" Merry asked after a few moments of silence, when Merry and Pippin and regained their composure. Eryn stood up and turned to them, tears already had taken her. They looked shocked at her sudden sadness.

" Perhaps we shouldn't have told you the full tale, yet. I had no idea that you are still young yet…" Pippin trailed off seeing the look on her face. Eryn turned back to the picture on the wall,

" He was my father," she told them with a strange clearness in her voice. Another figure crossed the room and put a hand on Eryn' shoulder. Eryn turned and looked into the eyes of Faramir. Merry nudged Pippin and gestured to Pippin that they should leave. Pippin nodded silently and they crept away, knowing they probably shouldn't be present at this moment.

Faramir looked at his niece with sad fondness. He rubbed his hand along her arm comfortingly. She gazed at him for a few long moments. Eryn bit her lip as it quivered violently. Faramir drew his arms around her and embraced her tightly. To his surprise she hugged him back gently.

" I'm sorry," she sobbed. " I'm sorry, for saying those things. I'm sorry for everything I did that hurt you. I understand now," She cried and cried. She took a deep breath and stood up straight, carefully breaking their strong embrace. She looked to the picture again, his arms still around her.

" You made it sound like he died with out much pain," she paused. " I cannot even try to comprehend trying to fight for your friends as the life is fading from your body through deep wounds that you know cannot be healed, and knowing that all hope is in vain and that this is your last stand as a noble man,"

Faramir took a deep shuddering breath. He wouldn't cry, not as his nieced mourn for her father, his own brother. He wouldn't cry. He refused to shed tears while trying to comfort a confused and hurt child. But then he looked at her, so was no child anymore. So, he caved in and a tear rolled down his cheek.

"You may have these," Faramir picked up the vambraces and handed them to her. "You are their rightful owner, you may take them if you wish. You can use them as a remembrance." Eryn did not question. She took them and hugged them close to her body.

" I must go prepare for dinner, it has long since been I had food. Hunger is finally setting in," she turned and left without another word. Faramir felt he could have yelled out with joy. He had her back; his niece loved him again.

Eryn entered the room silently. Merry, Pippin, Faramir, Eowyn, Aragorn and Arwen sat already at the table. Eryn took her place at the table next to Arwen and Eowyn. Eldarion was not there, Gimli and Legolas were not present either.

" Where is Eldarion, where is the Prince?" Eryn whispered looking around.

" He is preparing to leave in the morning," Aragorn said quietly. Arwen looked quite shaken. Eryn couldn't help gripping her fork extra tight, seeing such a beautiful woman like that. She had every reason to be though, her sixteen year old son was going to war.

Eryn placed a hand on the Elven Queens arm; she shook slightly. An overwhelming anxiety took Eryn. If someone who usually seemed so calm, was shaking with fear for her son, why should she have such hope for him.

" Why are you sending your son to war?" Eryn whispered looking up at Elessar. He looked at her calmly,

" Where did you hear this?" He asked her. Eryn looked down at her plate. " He asked me to go, I wouldn't refuse it of anyone to ask to put into our armies. It would be unfair and unjust as a king to refuse my son because he is close to me."

Though she didn't want it to be a good reason, it was just and fair. Elessar was wise.

" You seem to care a lot, my lady," Elessar addressed her as a woman, he had never done that before. Eryn looked up a little shocked. "Don't look so surprised, you have grown much, Eryn, I'm sorry I have failed to see it until now. Why do you care so much about my son?"

" He has shown me much," Eryn didn't want to go into how she met him in a dark corridor and followed him without resist or question. She also didn't want to get into how he had rescued her from her troubles at the moment. Nor that he was the one to lead her into the forest where Legolas had to find her. " He is a very kind man," Elessar chuckled gruffly.

" You too have seen that he is a man, he has been a man for many years now."

" Indeed he has," She hesitated. "Where are the prince's chambers?"

" They are in the furthest wing on the North side of the castle, the only occupied one in the area, why do you ask?" Aragorn answered.

" I wish to wish him farewell later tonight, when he is done packing," Eryn told him. Aragorn nodded. 'It may be the last time,' she thought quietly to herself. Eryn excused herself not long after.

Eryn went to her room and slipped on a very pretty white dress. It looked much like the one Eowyn used to wear. Eryn pulled out her hair and brushed it quickly. She turned to her dresser and lifted the vambraces carefully and with great respect. She held them under her arm as she carried a candle in her free hand.

Eryn followed her passage north and went up two levels to the wing that she assumed wasn't occupied. It was pitch black except for a soft orange light coming from a door down near the end.

She approached it slowly and by the way the light flickered and a shadow crept across it, that he was clearly pacing. She looked around the corner of the door to find her thought correct.

Eldarion was pacing across his room, and on the other side of him was a burning fire in the fireplace. He was clad in a silvery-grey tunic and slightly darker pants and a greenish cloak over his back and pinned with a green leaf brooch.

Eryn entered the room and shut the door behind her. Eldarion looked over when he heard the click of the door. He looked at her for a few moments before sighing.

" I grew impatient," Eryn muttered to him. " I wanted to see you,"

" I'm glad you did, I almost wasn't going to come until very late this night. I didn't want to see you so soon," Eldarion looked unfazed at all, but there was a hint of fear in his eyes. He began to pace again. Eryn just watched him. He seemed older, he was a year younger then she was, but he still was at least a head taller. It didn't help that with his stubble he looked like he was over twenty in the years of men.

" I have something for you," Eldarion snapped Eryn from her thoughts as he walked over to her and took the candle from her hand and set it on the dresser. He placed something round and cold into her palm of her hand.

Eryn looked down and opened her hand, revealing a ring. It was a very pretty ring, but it was very masculine in appearance. It had two snakes on the side and in the center and a very bright Emerald.

"It is called Barahir. It was passed down from Elrond Half-elven to my father then to me. It is an heirloom of our house,"

" You cannot give me this, it has been in your family for a long time," She looked down at the ring for a few moments before opening her hand and offering it to him, "I cannot except this,"

" Fine," Eldarion said smiling, " but will you at least wear it in my honor whilst I am away?" Eryn sighed and slipped the ring onto her finger,

" I don't think I can, it appears my fingers are too small," she tried to smile and hand it back again, but he held out a small thin chain.

" Here," Eldarion took the ring and threaded the chain through it's center. He took the two ends of the clasps and clipped them together around her neck just above the gold locket that she had never taken off. Eryn bit her lip and looked up at him.

" Thank you," Eryn felt the fear of the chance that he may not return grow upon her. She shuddered involuntarily when his hand brushed against the side of her neck, "What if you never return?"

"I will return," he told her firmly. Eryn remembered why she took the vambraces with her.

" I wanted to give these to you," she held the vambraces out to him. He just looked at them sadly. "Remember me, when you go out there. Please take these," Eldarion looked up at her. She had tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"I can't except these, they were your fathers," he whispered to her with a small smile. Eryn returned the weak smile,

" Just like how I cannot except you fathers ring?" the tremble in her lip and the tears forming in the corner of her eyes gave away all of her emotion. Eldarion took one vambrace and pulled it onto his arm, then the other. He tightened the buckles and let his hands fall to his sides again. "Now you truly remind me of how they described your father in the stories," she placed a hand on his shoulder lightly and tried to laugh, but it came as more of a sob. Eryn looked away trying to hide the tears that were threatening to fall.

"Eryn, look at me." Eryn slowly and unsteadily looked up into Eldarion's grey eyes. "I will return, I promise. You have to trust me just like you did that first night," Eryn nodded meekly.

"I trust you,"